Disney's New Muppets Logo

We've had it for 2 years now, I don't see why there really needs to be much more discussion on the matter. It's an okay logo. It's okay for the minimalistic look they're going for in merchandising, I guess. But it just makes me thing of this...

We really liked the first couple series of Muppet Show action figure packaging

Then the packaging changed to a more modern

Brand unity, maybe, since all other Muppet merchandise had that uniform angular lines and blue (which has nothing Muppety about it). It looks good, but nothing can compare to the curtain packaging.

Now we move all the way on to Disney's Muppet merchandise... I can't find any really good examples, but they're all white with the tops of character heads popping out. It's cute, if mininmalistic, but it's not very visually appealing other than a basic level. That's where the logo works (unfortunately)

I don't see why Disney just doesn't go full blown nostalgia and do the red curtain motif with the original show Type Font.

Let's face it, branding is tough. The Muppets already have the die-hard fans and we'll be attracted to the merchandise no matter what the label looks like. Here's Disney's challenge:

Distinguish the Muppets brand from Henson and Sesame Street

Make it look new, fresh and bold

Work-in the Disney brand

Possibly work-in Kermit and/or Muppet imagery

New branded colors for advertising

Possibly create a recognizable emblem element

The imagery on the left indicates some of Disney's attempts in recent years. The right shows Henson and Disney's more successful attempts at updating the logo. I'd argue that the right hand side's second logo down is the most successful typography update. It would look great with bolder colors, possibly red and yellow.

I understand the intent of this recent Kermit "M" Muppets logo and it probably does help establish Disney's Muppet brand as the one with Kermit, Piggy and the gang. It was also kind of a "guess who's back" sort of campaign. I just think it's time to move on. Get some of the serifs back and thicken-up the letters.

In other words, if they are going to M-update the logo, I favor something somewhat closer to this...

Let's face it, branding is tough. The Muppets already have the die-hard fans and we'll be attracted to the merchandise no matter what the label looks like. Here's Disney's challenge:

Distinguish the Muppets brand from Henson and Sesame Street

Make it look new, fresh and bold

Work-in the Disney brand

Possibly work-in Kermit and/or Muppet imagery

New branded colors for advertising

Possibly create a recognizable emblem element

The imagery on the left indicates some of Disney's attempts in recent years. The right shows Henson and Disney's more successful attempts at updating the logo. I'd argue that the right hand side's second logo down is the most successful typography update. It would look great with bolder colors, possibly red and yellow.

I understand the intent of this recent Kermit "M" Muppets logo and it probably does help establish Disney's Muppet brand as the one with Kermit, Piggy and the gang. I just think it's time to move on. Get some of the serifs back and thicken-up the letters.

In other words, if they are going to M-update the logo, I favor something somewhat closer to this...

I understand why Disney doesn't want the logo to appear vintage, but there are so many ways around that.

I was one of the few that didn't like the original Palisades packaging because the colors were a little too dark and dingy and the Muppet Show logo was overly Photoshopped with gradients and bevels.

Instead of going to the blue and green, I would have kept a red curtain element yet placed it cleanly against white or a clean neutral. That would have made the figures pop from the packaging rather than fade into it. I would have also used a bolder, non-gradient version of their Muppets typography.

Of course all of this came from Henson's licensing art and branding book so Palisades had very little to do with such decisions. Still, my point is that something can still be both fresh and classic. Disney should know that better than anyone else. I'm just waiting to see it in their advertising for the Muppets. It's slowly getting better.

I wish I had an example of the packaging they have for the movie related merchandise. But I opened my figure set and tossed the packaging away (though I liked the interior with Muppet eyes, but that could have been done so much better), and I didn't get a chance to get the Valentines last year. I really don't see why they're going with such minimalism. Surely the characters pop out, but anything pops out with bland imagery.

Of course, the Theme Park version of the figure set...

Other than the ugly google eyed P and the anachronistic Gonzo poser photoshopped in the picture, there's some potential to this sort of thing. At least, more so than the blank white with the current green M black Uppets logo. I think that big hole in the brick wall is kinda fun.

I just want to see some evolution when the next movie comes around. Something a lot more playful than what we're getting.

I wish I had an example of the packaging they have for the movie related merchandise. But I opened my figure set and tossed the packaging away (though I liked the interior with Muppet eyes, but that could have been done so much better), and I didn't get a chance to get the Valentines last year. I really don't see why they're going with such minimalism. Surely the characters pop out, but anything pops out with bland imagery.

Of course, the Theme Park version of the figure set...

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Other than the ugly google eyed P and the anachronistic Gonzo poser photoshopped in the picture, there's some potential to this sort of thing. At least, more so than the blank white with the current green M black Uppets logo. I think that big hole in the brick wall is kinda fun.​

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I just want to see some evolution when the next movie comes around. Something a lot more playful than what we're getting.​

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Here's the other branding of the same set. I'm just not keen on the current licensing and branding book they have on the Muppets right now. It's either cluttered or blah. Maybe they should do a contest!​

That's the hard thing with the first title. You can't tell if it was the entire brand or just the name of the movie. I'd tend to think only movie specific stuff, like kiddy book adaptions, would have the ...Again byline.

Here's the other branding of the same set. I'm just not keen on the current licensing and branding book they have on the Muppets right now. It's either cluttered or blah. Maybe they should do a contest!​

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I give them credit for one thing, though. New posers. They just use them inconsistently with the stale old Gonzo in a pepper shirt/air kissing Chef images. At least the Kermit isn't as terrible as it was years ago.

That's EXACTLY the reason I hate it, it is really cute. The Muppets were never cute. Their appearance was never cute, their behaviour was never cute, nothing about them was cute. I think that is fundamentally the reason Disney does not understand the Muppets. In their big pupiled, perfect appearance, saccharin filled world, Disney are the experts on cute...with little understanding for anything that's slightly off. You could even argue the more recent puppet builds are a perfect example of this, as the Muppets have never looked more "perfect". Fozzies hair is no longer mangy or matted (Disney claim they couldn't find the right fur but this is bull - heat treatments on existing fur would give Fozzie his original appearance) and Crazy Harry could very well have his name changed to "slightly off kilter, but nicely groomed Harry". The Muppet Babies were the cute element of the Muppets.

That's EXACTLY the reason I hate it, it is really cute. The Muppets were never cute. Their appearance was never cute, their behaviour was never cute, nothing about them was cute. I think that is fundamentally the reason Disney does not understand the Muppets.

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I don't really see cute. Cuteness of concept, but I don't think it's playful enough to warrant a cute. It's a straight faced, overly groomed business man wearing a Santa Claus tie the Christmas he decides to work at the office because he's in almost a jovial mood. It reminds me more of Eek the Cat's Steven Squirrel, specifically their boring "celebrations." "We went a little crazy on the Fourth of July. We are dressed up as fire crackers. There's Halley and Acorn, Steven Junior, Gunter, and Thhhhuuuthan." That's what the logo looks like, blandness with a little sparkle that doesn't overshadow the blandness. Cute would be if all the letters looked like Muppet characters or were colored as such like the M was. It doesn't even have that level of whimsy.

Maybe there's just some movement in marketing (that transcends just Disney) to make things look clean, sterile, futuristic and minimalistic, and the Muppets logo is just supposed to be another one of those things. It looks hipsterish, actually. Meanwhile, all the Super Hero projects and products have that cross bred comic book title metallic look that's very dynamic and stands out. The only way the Muppet logo stands out is because they routinely put it against a blank white background. I agree with Jamie here... there's got to be a middle ground between baron and cluttered.

I don't really see cute. Cuteness of concept, but I don't think it's playful enough to warrant a cute. It's a straight faced, overly groomed business man wearing a Santa Claus tie the Christmas he decides to work at the office because he's in almost a jovial mood. It reminds me more of Eek the Cat's Steven Squirrel, specifically their boring "celebrations." "We went a little crazy on the Fourth of July. We are dressed up as fire crackers. There's Halley and Acorn, Steven Junior, Gunter, and Thhhhuuuthan." That's what the logo looks like, blandness with a little sparkle that doesn't overshadow the blandness. Cute would be if all the letters looked like Muppet characters or were colored as such like the M was. It doesn't even have that level of whimsy.

Maybe there's just some movement in marketing (that transcends just Disney) to make things look clean, sterile, futuristic and minimalistic, and the Muppets logo is just supposed to be another one of those things. It looks hipsterish, actually. Meanwhile, all the Super Hero projects and products have that cross bred comic book title metallic look that's very dynamic and stands out. The only way the Muppet logo stands out is because they routinely put it against a blank white background. I agree with Jamie here... there's got to be a middle ground between baron and cluttered.

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The film's advertising campaign has this sort of "peeking" or "guess who" sort of feel to it that the M kind of personified. I happened to like the Taxi signs, but the rest of it was kind of bland. They're officially back now, so I hope they go a different route this time.

The film's advertising campaign has this sort of "peeking" or "guess who" sort of feel to it that the M kind of personified. I happened to like the Taxi signs, but the rest of it was kind of bland. They're officially back now, so I hope they go a different route this time.

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The taxis might go a different route, but they can still only take you as far as the lobby.